England and Southampton Legend Matthew Le Tissier formally opened the new All Weather Sports Pitches at Bucklers Mead Community School. This is the first phase of superb new sports facilities which will, when all completed, represent over £1,000,000 worth of investment by the school for our students and for Yeovil. Matthew Le Tissier said of the facilities that “Bucklers Mead has raised the bar with their new sports facilities” and “I’d urge the pupils and community to make the most of these wonderful pitches”. The school is proud to be able to provide these superb facilities for our students and the wider community of Yeovil. As the following phases of the developments get underway the school will truly become a centre of excellence which all may enjoy. Mike Featherstone, Headteacher, stated “We were delighted to have such a high profile star come to Bucklers Mead and spend the evening with us and open our new pitch. We have been told that it is one of the top 100 pitches in Europe and the same standard as Champions league pitches. It is fantastic that our pupils and local community can use such a high specification facility.”
The evening proved to be a busy one as it was also the school’s formal open evening with hundreds of prospective parents and pupils visiting the school seeing it at its best. This popularity is because Bucklers Mead is one of the most successful secondary schools in the region and refuses to become complacent as it strives to build on recent success. This summer the school achieved record GCSE results with 60% of students achieving 5 A*-C. The recent whole school Ofsted also stated that the school has “many Outstanding features”. Many visitors commented on how great the school looked, from the technology on display in the Design and Technology department, the explosions and experiments in Science, concerts in Music or the colourful displays in Art or the Beliefs and Values departments. Over 100 Year 9 and 10 students turned up to act as tour guides for the school’s many guests giving them first hand experience of life at Bucklers Mead.
Matthew Le Tissier spent the evening coaching a number of the school’s students and praised them commenting that “very willing students took part in the training session and showed some good ability. I hope they are always this well behaved.” He was also busy meeting hundreds of parents and prospective new students as they toured the school on throughout the school’s Open Evening. Despite demands from newspaper reporters, radio presenters and camara crews from the BBC and ITV he was still able to focus on coaching and meeting those who were visiting the school, signing books, autographs and having photos taken with many who spoke to him. The facilities were formally opened by Matthew Le Tissier shooting a penalty through a large banner whilst onlookers cheered. Students were inspired by the tips and advice that he was able to pass on and this experience will live long with them.
The All Weather Facilities have been developed with the help of a £395,123 grant from the Football Foundation and is one of the largest investments in grass roots sport in the South West. The Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity, funded with £40m from the Premier League, The FA and Government. The initial opening is of the 3rd generation floodlit artificial grass football and hockey pitches. Matthew Le Tissier praised the work of the Football Foundation “The Football Foundation has been fantastic in supporting grass roots football around the country and have again been fantastic in helping develop this facility at Bucklers Mead Community School.”
Between now and summer 2011 the school plans to develop new high standard community changing facilities, a Community Sports Education Unit, fitness rooms and dance studios. It also plans to improve its cricket pitch, lay new drainage on its existing fields to allow for a range of mini pitches to be laid around the site, extend its five-a-side pitches and build a dome roof and floodlit tennis courts.
£79,024 of the grant awarded to Bucklers Mead by the Foundation will pay for a Football Development Officer who will be on-site, implementing the delivery of sporting activity and community access to the new pitches. The school was also previously successful in applying for free kit and equipment from the Foundation through its Junior Kit Scheme, as well as successfully applying for a Barclays Spaces for Sport coaching pack.
For further information please contact the school on 01935 424454 and ask for either Mike Featherstone (Headteacher) or Andrew Thelwell (Assistant Headteacher – Press and Publicity) or email AThelwell@educ.somerset.gov.uk
For information on the Football Foundation contact Rory Carroll on 0845 345 4555 ext. 4280, or rory.carroll@footballfoundation.org.uk
For support with any Football matters in South Somerset please contact newly appoined Football Development Officer Sion.kitson@somersetfa.com